5 ideas for a small front garden that looks perfect without overrunning the budget

1. Plan and measure the space clearly before you buy anything

For a front garden in a limited space such as a townhouse or a small detached house, the most important tip is tomeasure the actual spaceand observe the direction of the sun throughout the day. Planning ahead means you buy the plants and materials you actually need, without wasting money on plants that can't take the sun or buying more materials than necessary.

2. Use affordable but good-looking paving materials

Instead of planting grass over the whole area, which needs frequent mowing, or concreting everything, try mixing materials to create depth and save money:

• Precast concrete stepping slabs: choose a simple style and lay them as a path to open up the space and make the house feel airy
• River stones or crushed stone: spread them in the gaps between the slabs; they drain well and make the garden look neat
• Weed-barrier fabric: lay it underneath before adding stones, to stop weeds growing through in the future and save maintenance time

3. Choose upright, easy-care plants

For a small home, choose tall or vertical plants so you don't lose ground space. Easy-care species suited to Thai weather include Ficus (Korean ficus) for screening snake plant and golden dewdrop (Duranta) , which are tough, don't need frequent watering, and add lush green depth to the front of the house

4. Add light and security with solar lights

Bring atmosphere to the garden at night with solar stake lights that need no complicated wiring and save on electricity. However, Important caution: if you want lighting connected to the house's main electrical system, or you need to dig or drive piles for an additional shade-batten structure, call a specialist to do the work, for safety from current leakage and to avoid damaging the house structure.